The one in which Redclaw gets laid, Petrie grows up, and Tria faints
by The Rhombus
Summary: Alternate title: Noisy two-footers, unfriendly fastbiters, and some other things that aren't as scary, maybe, depending on how you feel about premature adulthood, sharptooth courtship, arcane flyer religions, incompetent parents, a two-footer named Ysa, and seven dinosaurs that aren't ready for the talk. By Rhombus and Fyn. A crack fic for the June/July Prompt challenge.


Good evening, everyone! Today Fyn and I have an offering for you that differs from our usual style: a crack fic. This is an entry for the June/July Gang of Five prompt challenge which has been submitted fashionably late. Despite the title of this fic, rest assured that there is nothing explicit in this story though your minds may be scared forever from the nonsense contained herein. That being said, I hope that you enjoy this offering. (:

* * *

 **The one in which Redclaw gets laid, Petrie grows up, and Tria faints**

 **Or: Noisy two-footers, unfriendly fastbiters, and some other things that aren't as scary, maybe, depending on how you feel about premature adulthood, sharptooth courtship, arcane flyer religions, incompetent parents, a two-footer named Ysa, and seven dinosaurs that aren't ready for the talk**

 **(a short story)**

 **By: Rhombus; Fyn; and 4 shots of sour mash whiskey**

* * *

"Whose idea was this again?"

The threehorn's complaint was promptly interrupted by their pursuers latest torrent of growls as the sounds of footsteps, both predator and prey, echoed upon the walls of the ravine. Were they not running for their lives Littlefoot would have stopped to remind Cera that this attempt to find Tasty Purple Petals to devour had been her idea.

Now it looked like they were the ones about to be devoured.

Ducky's feet slapped against the hard ground as she panted, sprinting just to keep up with her much larger brother. She had been contemplating, as she often did in times like these, just how it was possible that a dinosaur who practically ate twice her own weight for breakfast was so much faster than her. It would be annoying if they weren't in serious danger. Again.

"It does not matter whose idea it was!" she puffed, sticking as close to Spike as she could, "what matters is what is behind us!"

She barely had time to finish before a pair of toothy jaws snapped shut just shy of her tail. The little swimmer let out a startled yelp, sprinting past Spike and into the middle of the herd. Behind them came the snarl of a perturbed fast biter.

Spike for his part struggled to keep up with the band of friends as both fastbiters bore down upon him with murderous intent. Hearing his panicked grunt, Ruby realized that they were fast running out of time.

"We have to find a way to lose them or we will lose Spike!" She turned towards Chomper as she lowered her head to avoid a root embedded in the ravine wall, a reminder of the numerous hiding places that they could have used if they had taken the difficult path.

It was too late for that now.

"Do you smell anything, Chomper? Anything that could help us?"

Unfortunately for his fast runner companion, Chomper's sniffer was anything but focused, assailed as it was by the prominent stenches of Red Claw and his minions. Nevertheless, he put forth his best effort, raising his snout into the air and taking a deep whiff. He almost stumbled, but Littlefoot was on him immediately, catching him and setting him back on course.

"Nothing!" Chomper confessed, "I can't smell anything! We're trapped in here!"

And indeed, he seemed to be right. The ravine seemed to stretch out endlessly, a deep swath cut between two smooth walls. Climbing it would be impossible, and turning around? Absolutely out of the question. The only way to go was forward, and that way was quickly becoming impossible, too.

Littlefoot and Cera could only share the slightest of glances as they charged forward into the desolate abyss. It was devoid of cover, it was devoid of safety, it was devoid of hope. In all of their prior encounters with the sharpteeth of the Mysterious Beyond there was some miracle or trick that had managed to save their hides. Now, however, they were confronted with the very real possibility that many of them would not see their beloved home again.

Struggling to look for any hint of sanctuary in the ravine walls, Littlefoot was left with the darkest of thoughts. How could things get any worse?

But as always, it could. And it did. In that instant, a familiar, thundering roar reverberated through the canyon walls with all the force of a flash flood, a deep, bone-shaking sound that would have rivaled any was an unmistakable call, one the gang of young dinosaurs knew all too well: Redclaw.

But just as all hope seemed to be lost Littlefoot felt something crash into his face. Suddenly his view of the ravine in front of him was replaced with the sight of an agitated flyer flapping his wings.

"L- L- Littlefoot, me see cave!" the Flyer stammered, struggling to regain some semblance of control as the Longneck pushed him unceremoniously through the air.

"About time, Fuzz-for-Brains! So where is it?" the Threehorn beside him snapped.

"It not far, just around the bend!"

Littlefoot increased his speed with a sudden surge of energy that seemed to come from nowhere as he gave an excited yelp and gestured towards the bend in the ravine ahead. It was then that he managed to choke out a question to the flyer despite the struggle to catch his breath, "How far does it go? If it's a dead end then we are done for!"

The Flyer looked down at the Longneck from his perch atop his head in utter disbelief. "Me no know! You expect Petrie to fly into it? It cave! Good enough for me!"

"Dummy, he's asking because if it isn't deep, we might as well be jumping into the Sharpteeth's jaws!" Cera snarled. The look she shot Petrie had the Flyer airborne again before Littlefoot could so much as blink.

"It look deep enough to me!" he shouted, just as Redclaw roared again, "and that all that matters!"

Both Ruby and Chomper gained speed as they ran along the ravine wall, finally catching up with Cera and Littlefoot's desperate sprint. It was then that Littlefoot saw a tell-tale green form latched like a leach onto the fastrunner's tail.

"I do not think we have a choice. Oh no, no, no!"

The lognneck sighed as he saw the dark embrace of the cave come closer like a spider's web beckoning to a wayward insect. It was now or never.

"Everyone in now!"

Littlefoot turned with a suddenness that would have put a fastrunner to shame as the little flyer was nearly peeled from his head by the whiplash. In an instant his forward momentum had been sacrificed to enter the promised sanctuary. As the light of the Bright Circle suddenly faded in its darkened depths Littlefoot realized their grave mistake.

And as soon as Spike slammed headfirst into his rear he knew that they would not have the chance to rectify it. In an instant that seemed to last for ages, the dinosaurs tumbled in a makeshift ball of tails, scales, and beaks, only coming to a sudden stop at the cave's end.

They were only a few body lengths into the cave, a fact made astutely clear to the Threehorn who was thoroughly smooshed against the back wall. This was how it was going to end. Not battling a terrifying threat as she protected a herd years from now, not delving through the mossy depths of some forgotten old cavern, no- she would die here, packed into a hole in a wall because of the typically terrible advice of a clueless flyer.

Which, she grudgingly admitted to herself, was pretty much how she'd honestly expected it was going to end all along.

"Oh no!" she heard a squeaky voice call from the other side of the pile of bodies, "they coming for sure! Me can't be killed by Sharpteeth!"

"That can be arranged," Cera muttered, staring angrily down at the sharp horn protruding from her snout.

Chomper, meanwhile, struggled to remove Ruby's tail from his face in order to regain his bearings. As soon as he succeeded and saw what awaited them he regretted his decision.

Screech and Thud were upon them. It was all over.

Chomper had always known that he would die out here in the Mysterious Beyond. He was a sharptooth after all, doomed one day to toil and fight in the dust and mud, shedding blood so that he might survive for another day. But he had always hoped that day would only come after a happy life and seeing his friends well in the valley safe from sharpteeth… and safe from him. Fate, it seemed, had deemed for him to fall with his friends.

He forced his eyes open. His daddy had always told him that sharpteeth did not die cowering.

Despite the lingering disorientation from her collision, Ruby knew what was about the greet them all. There was a saying as old as fastrunners had existed in the world, when a fast runner quits running their race has come to an end. Though she had hoped to enjoy the marathon of life it now seemed that she was doomed to only have a sprint for her legacy. Looking towards Chomper, and seeing him attempt to face death with the dignity his kind demanded, she could only feel regret that she had failed to protect what had been in her charge. As a show of comradeship she placed a hand on his quaking shoulder and stared at their attackers.

Ducky and Spike turned to one another. Despite their cramped confinement, they were able to meet one another face to face, sister staring into the eyes of brother. All their life they'd put aside the differences of their species out of sheer sibling love for one another. They had hoped that, in the future, they would be the ones to teach Mama Swimmer's children the ways of the world, sharing with them their own wealth of knowledge of the Mysterious Beyond, so that the next generation would be a little kinder, a little wiser. But it seemed that was not to be. They held onto one another tightly, each awaiting the inevitable, each hoping it would at least be quick…

Cera's thoughts were of her father, of the only dinosaur in her life she looked up to more than Littlefoot. One day, she'd told him, she would lead a herd all of her own, perhaps even the Great Valley itself. He'd done everything he could up until now to help her pursue that dream. Now, through no fault of her own, a trio of Sharpteeth were about to take that away from her, years before she would be big enough or strong enough to fight back. Cowards. The thought of it enraged her.

And yet, she felt something else, too. Something she knew she would repress right up until the moment all the lights went out. Unable to look death in the eye, unable to see her end rushing up to meet her, Cera felt fear. Yet just as in Chomper's case, it was the words of her father that returned to her in this most desperate of hours, to provide her one small measure of comfort.

" _Remember, Cera. Only a fool is afraid of nothing."_

And so, the Threehorn narrowed her eyes, flared her nostrils, and gritted her teeth. Her whole body was shaking, but none of that mattered anymore. She was ready.

Pain. Numbness. Silence. Of all the things that registered in the longneck's mind in these terrifying final moments it was the silence that hit him the most. For years they had struggled side-by-side, fighting threats that children had no business fighting, dodging dangers that seemed impossible to avoid, and going on adventures that they had assumed they would pass on to their own children one day. But now the ominous silence cruely informed them all of what awaited them. There would be no more laughter in the valley from the mischievous seven, and no more boasts and playful taunts. No more tears for happy homecomings. No more companionship or love.

This was the end. Now there would only be silence.

Littlefoot could only grit his teeth as the realization hit him, the terrible knowledge that there was nothing else that he could offer his friends, no more tricks or brilliant plans. If any of them could escape now it might have been Petrie, but for himself and the others the song of life had played out and the story was drawing to a close. Though the knowledge that he would now rejoin his mother and that they would again continue their endless journey together provided him with some comfort, he was left with the horrifying realization. The silence, the cold, the fear, the helplessness… was this what Mother felt when the end came?

Narrowing his eyes in determination he gave Petrie a forceful nudge into the air. Someone had to remain to tell their story. He only hoped that Petrie would handle the burden of survival better than he had in the absence of his mother. _Remember us._

But Petrie could only wonder, as he tumbled backwards through the air, why the dreaded Screech and Thud, two of the Mysterious Beyond's most dangerous fast biters, were now huddled up in the cave next to them like a pair of frightened hatchlings. What was going on?

That was when the cave echoed with a cacophony of sounds that seem to come from the very Earth itself. A bowel-shaking roar that was soon joined by that of another, followed then by the sound of Petrie's voice uttering something none of the gang would ever have expected to hear from him.

"Make room for me, Thud!"

The dinosaurs packed themselves in even tighter. From her position at the rear, Cera shook her head, wondering if the pressure was getting to her. Petrie hadn't said what she thought he'd said, had he? Couldn't be. Someone at the front of the cave was just taking up too much space. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to do it gasping for air in the dark.

"Stop pushing!" she groaned, and pushed back against the wall with all her might. She was met with a very un-leaf eater-like growl from the mouth of the cave in response.

"No!" Petrie squeaked, now fully aware that he was within snapping distance of two fully-grown fast biters, "stop, Cera!"

Another roar sent both the threehorn and the fastbiter deep into the cave… well… as deep as it went. As all of those present huddled against the wall trying to avoid the sensitive eyes and sniffers of the monsters outside.

"Oh no! They are here!" Ducky's panicked words roared in the cave as Spike let out desperate groans. They were joined by a series of confused and disoriented calls from the others, making the auditory assault in the cave rival anything that an entire pack of two-footers create.

"Who's here?!" Cera barked out, "will someone please explain what's going on?!"

 **Roar!**

Suddenly everyone held their ears as all eyes turned to the source of the noise. A most familiar green fastbiter with a long snout and an even longer reputation. He glanced at Chomper for a moment before the purple sharptooth began to speak in a muted whisper.

"Thud says to shut up unless you want Redclaw to eat us all!"

Silence returned to the cave then as the leaf-eaters and sharpteeth entered into an uneasy truce, each huddling behind the cave walls, trying to hide as much of their bodies as they could in the cave's pathetic depths. But that was when the distinctive sound of two competing roars shook the cave.

Ruby's beak clicked in fear, "I don't think that Redclaw is alone out there…"

Redclaw's roar sounded again. Hearing it once more, it was obvious that his was the deeper, of the two, while the second roar was clearly someone else, a higher, more grating sound. Two Sharpteeth? This close to the wall? The gang listened closely, trying to decipher what was going on. The higher roar seemed to be challenging Redclaw, pushing him towards some sort of confrontation. In return, Redclaw's own roar seemed strangely more formal than before. None of the young dinosaurs could say for sure, of course, and even the ones that understood the Sharptooth dialogue were having a hard time figuring out what was going on outside the cave.

"Maybe they'll eat each other," came Cera's muffled whisper from the rear.

* * *

"A lone sharptooth invades my territory? Bold move, but now you will see what I can do, Scarless… even a pack of fastbiter cowers before me!"

Chomper watched in mute fascination and horror as the two tyrannosauruses circled one another, yet one thought confused him. Why weren't they attacking? They had traded verbal barbs for the last several minutes.

The female growled in response to the massive male. Her light green coloration belayed the scars that marred her flanks and backside, a testament to numerous battles she had survived… and clearly won. For the first time, it seemed, Red Claw was evenly matched, and yet all eyes peering out at the two Sharpteeth from the dark of the cave found themselves conflicted. If this newcomer was really capable of taking down Red Claw, then what did that bode for them? So they watched as their circle drew tighter, the Tyrannosaurs viciously snapping at one another as the distance between them grew smaller.

"How'd you get that scar?" the female barked, "Swimmer give you a good beatdown?"

This seemed to set Redclaw off completely, and he threw back his head, delivering the loudest roar any of the gang had ever heard. To their surprise, the female barely even flinched.

"Pathetic. I've heard better from the last Clubtail I killed."

The massive male laughed at the female's taunt, "Ah, so you know what the food grunts out when it dies. With social skills like that no wonder why you are egg-less."

The female's eyes widened, and she lowered herself down, swishing her tail from side to side menacingly. Then, without warning, she lunged forward, jaws wide open, towards Redclaw. Her jaws closed on nothing but air as the large Sharptooth deftly sidestepped her attack, chuckling to himself.

"You see, you need to hunt the leaf-munchers and not court with them."

Chomper could not understand what was going on. Did Redclaw have a deathwish? Did the other sharptooth? That was when his father's wise words popped into his mind.

" _When you are facing someone and don't know if to fight or leave, you test them."_

" _What do you mean, daddy?"_

" _Charge at them. See what they do in response. If they fear you then you have the advantage. If not then sometimes it is best to fight another day."_

Chomper blinked in recognition. Redclaw must be testing the female, and she must be doing the same. But what do sharpteeth do if neither seems afraid of the other? This situation seemed to confirm that a non-stop insult-fest was the result.

"Chomper, what are they doing?"

The little purple sharptooth merely shook his head at Littlefoot's hushed question. "I am not sure…"

At the front of the cave, however, a much different conversation was taking place between the two resident Fastbiters.

"I don't know which is more painful: listening to this shit or being eaten."

Screech sighed as he looked forlornly at his companion. "You said it. You know what this means, right?"

Thud growled. "That we get to see something disgusting before the Big Guy eats us all?"

"Pfft," Screech shook his claw dismissively, "we've been through worse before. I'm sure we have… at one point or another. The point is, we can kiss Longneck dinners goodbye for a while, no matter how you slice it. Now, we can go out there and die the moment Ugly sets eyes on us, or…" he looked back thoughtfully at the cowering leaf eaters trapped behind them, "we use our resources."

"So you're suggesting we beg for help. From our food," Thud said flatly.

Screech shrugged. "Think of it as… expanding the pack. Temporarily, of course."

Thud scanned the leaf-eaters with a cursory glance, causing them to cram into the back of the cave while Chomper snarled and took on a defensive stance that was less intimidating than it was cute. Had they really fallen this low?

Outside the cave, the circle went on, each of the massive predators trading insults like they were hatchlings.

"I'm going to jump on you and rip out your throat!"

"Oh... I think you have our roles reversed, dear, but I appreciate your interest!

"Why you!"

Screech winced. Thud was right: _anything_ was better than hearing their old leader acting in such a humiliating way.

"What do you say, Thud? Can't be any worse than listening to this, right?"

Thud groaned. "Damn it, alright! But if a word of this gets out then our reputations will be ruined forever."

"Of course. And besides," Screech added, licking his chops as his Sharptooth took on a deep fastbiter accent, in case the little rex was listening, "if they don't help us, we can always just eat them."

Thud nodded. It looked like their best option at this point.

"Are you saying that you have eyes for me, you pathetic moron?"

"Only where it matters," Redclaw responded, suddenly taking on a very different tone. Screech dry-heaved slightly.

Thud wasted no time in making their case. "Okay, Tiny, I have a proposition for you to make with your sap-sucker friends."

Taken completely by surprise, Chomper nonetheless remained on his guard. Things were getting weird, no doubt about it, but that hardly made Screech and Thud any more trustworthy than they already were.

"What is it, and why should we care?" he growled, taking care not to show weakness. Hopefully, they'd respect his show of force, even if it was ultimately meaningless.

"Settle down, pipsqueak," Screech hissed, making sure to expose as many teeth as possible, "today, we're on the same side. I think you'll find we have the same goal in mind."

"And what's that?"

"Getting out of this cave alive," Thud answered, "Or do the sap-suckers have a plan to escape like they usually do?"

Chomper looked around the cave. While he wouldn't admit it to Thud, the situation was pretty hopeless. The only way out was through the Fastbiters, and then past Redclaw. The odds weren't in their favor this time.

"I don't see why that's a problem for you," Chomper pointed out, "Redclaw's your friend. What's stopping you from walking out there right now and telling him where we are?"

"I'm not sure 'friend' is the right word," Screech cut in, "more like 'necessity.'"

Chomper said nothing, but his expression urged the Fastbiters to continue.

"And currently the Big Guy does not see us as a necessity…" Thud admitted reluctantly.

"What are they saying?" Cera asked with an odd mixture of annoyance and barely concealed fear, though she would never admit that.

"Me not sure me want to know…" Petrie groaned as he lay on Littlefoot's back.

"All you need to know is that I don't think we'll be hunting with Redclaw any time soon, and…" Screech drew in a deep breath. He knew Thud wouldn't be the one to say it, so the responsibility fell to him. The next words out of his mouth were accompanied by a face that looked as if he'd swallowed a bone shard by mistake.

"We think we should work together."

"Work together?!" Chomper blurted out in leaf eater. Immediately the gang snapped alert.

"Chomper…" Cera snarled, "What, exactly, are you saying to them?"

"Shush, Cera!" Chomper shot back, feeling braver than usual now that two fully grown Fastbiters were more or less on his side, "I'm getting us out of here." He turned back to Screech and Thud, reverting to the Sharptooth tongue, "how do I know you won't harm us?"

"You are brave, I'll give you that," Redclaw snarled outside. "I like that. Actually, I find that pretty admirable. Maybe even endearing, if you're lucky."

Thud closed his eyes. _Ancestors give me strength…_ "I give you my vow."

"And mine," Screech echoed, "we will not harm the sap-suckers. But if we don't get moving, you can bet Redclaw will have no trouble with harming any of us."

Chomper couldn't believe his ears. Could this actually be happening? But with the chorus of growls and roars from outside the cave, he knew that the gang's window of opportunity was narrowing. If they were to escape then it had to be now. If they waited for Redclaw to chase away the challenger…

Chomper turned back to the gang. He knew what he had to do, though he suspected what he had to say would be even more difficult than talking to the Fastbiters.

"They saw that they will help us get out of here if we help them escape from Redclaw."

"They what?!" Cera yelped from the back of the cave.

Littlefoot blinked for a moment, still not quite believing what he had heard. "What if they want to eat us once we are out of here?"

"I do not know if we can trust them. They have tried to eat us before, and I do not want us to be eaten. Oh, no, no, no." Ducky affirmed as Spike grunted his agreement.

Ruby was a bit more controlled in her response. She had heard the exchanges outside and the conversation between Chomper and the two fastbiters. Despite her misgivings, as a fastrunner she knew an opening when she saw one.

"Guys, if we escape from this cave then maybe we can escape from them, but if we don't escape from the cave then we can't escape," she gestured for emphasis, "Because they are right here."

Chomper nodded, feigning more confidence than he felt. "They also gave me their vow."

"I'd say something, but none of you is going to listen to me anyway," Cera grumbled, "and I'll probably be the one that pays for it."

Littlefoot sighed, obviously not pleased with the situation but not seeing another way out. "Guys, I don't think we have a choice here. Petrie, as soon as we get out you need to fly ahead, okay?"

"You not need to tell Petrie twice. Me not want to stay near Screech and Thud!"

Cera rolled her eyes, "Lucky you."

Screech and Thud meanwhile were shifting around impatiently. Every second wasted by the ignorant sap-suckers was a moment they would never get back. If they wanted to escape then they had to go now.

Thud growled with a tone that invited no further debate, "Tell them if they don't help us then they will be my last meal. Let's move!"

* * *

Looking hesitantly around the edge of the cave entrance, the gang carefully but swiftly followed Thud's lead along the edge of the rock wall. Unlike the Sharpteeth, they did not know the best way to mask one's scent by going with the wind, but that they could show them. They just needed to help with the rest. Next time Redclaw might not be as distracted.

As Screech brought up the rear behind Spike he spared the tyrannosaurus duo one final glance.

"Now admit it you just invaded my territory to see me. How about next time I 'invade' your territory, if you know what I mean?"

Screech closed his eyes. Death would have been more merciful than hearing that.

* * *

 **The skies above the Mysterious Beyond, that evening:**

Two amber orbs shined through the enveloping darkness of the night, harbingers of the coming night. The Bright Circle's distant radiance was only now beginning to dim over the horizon, announcing to all the coming evening.

But to the owner of the eyes it seemed more a cruel mockery of hope than its realization. Her child was missing. The valley's children were missing. And their would be no rest until they were all found.

She gave the slightest look back as she waved a wing for the others to move forward. On this day they would either retrieve their children. The time of watchful waiting and careful scoutings was over. In the past they had bickered for too long in the past and let their children act like the adults they should have been. Wandering off all over the world while the parents were oblivious until the children were almost already back.

Those days were over.

With a heavy heart she took flight once more, making a slow turn over the valley walls. With no less than eight separate groups at the ready they would begin their inspection at the valley's walls and expand their focus outwards so that no rock was unturned. But she had no doubt that their search would take at least the entire day.

"Hey, it's Momma!"

It was at that point a distracted Volant slammed into the ravine wall.

* * *

Petrie winced as his mother collided with the unyielding rock face. For most Flyers, running into terrain in broad daylight without a cloud in the sky was the ultimate form of humiliation, but for Petrie, his instincts took precedence. This was his mother, after all. The young Flyer shot off towards the crumpled figure of his mother with the rest of the gang following up as quickly as their legs could carry them. All save for the two Fastbiters, who chose instead to hang back, talking quietly amongst themselves under the cover of foliage..

"I call dibs on the flyer if she's dead." A bush appeared to assert as a grey tail emerged from its foliage.

"Excuse me?" the bush's second half muttered, somewhat perturbed, "you got to pick the last downed Flyer. This one's mine."

"We can play for it. Rock, tail, teeth. Best two out of three!" The other bush suggested, its tail shifting in agitation.

"Oh you would suggest that. Just because you're always-"

But the bush fell silent as the young Threehorn standing nearby shot it a look filled with enough venom to down a fully-grown Sharptooth.

"I think she knows what we are talking about…"

"Gee… you think, genius? We should quiet down before..."

It was at that exact moment that the ravine suddenly began to echo with the sounds of chaos, of thundering footsteps and raging speed. One of the search parties had arrived. Almost immediately, Cera's hardened demeanor melted once she realized who was leading it.

And the threehorn at its front did not notice that it had almost crushed a certain tailed-bush.

"Cera! We were worried sick! Where have all of you been?"

"Oh hi Dad, didn't really expect to see you out here, uh, today."

The Threehorn scowled. Though, to call it that would imply that his face was ever anything but. In reality, the creases and wrinkles just deepened.

"It's my duty to patrol outside the Valley from time to time. You know that. Now, please answer my question, Cera. Where have you been?"

Cera stood rooted to the spot, licking her chops nervously. She was never all that good at telling a convincing lie.

"Um… we kind of wanted to explore the twisting stream," Littlefoot began as he carefully placed himself between the threehorn and one of the bushes, "But we kind of got lost."

Much to the Longneck's dismay, the great Threehorn's steely gaze turned to him next as he snorted.

"A Longneck getting lost. Huh. Haven't heard that one before," he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

The little longneck looked annoyed for a moment, a sign of his budding pride, but he held his tongue. Now was not the time to attract more attention to the bush behind him.

"I would say that the Great Valley walls would be more than 'a little lost', Littlefoot." Mama Flyer chided as she half-flew, half- fell onto the threehorn's back.

"There you are, Ducky! Spike!"

Littlefoot sighed as he gave the rest of his friends a look. For the first time in many adventures they had finally been caught mid-adventure. It was not a surprise when he felt himself being lifted up into the air onto a very familiar back.

"I'm sorry, Grandma," Littlefoot apologized honestly, noting the chaos that they had been through on this day. However, the agitated movement of the two 'bushes' below them reminded him of his duty to those who had decided to spare him.

Littlefoot swallowed. "I guess that we are all grounded, huh?"

That was when a horrible sound greeted everyone's ears. It was like a cross between a screech and a shriek, and it took several moments for the longneck to realize that it was Volant's laugh.

Maybe she had hit her head harder than they had thought?

Volant smiled at the children, her eyes gleaming in a way that made all of the children shiver, even a certain purple sharptooth and pink fastrunner.

"Oh don't worry, children. We have the _perfect_ punishment planned for all of you."

The children looked to one another nervously, each imagining the worst possible outcome. Even Topps was smiling now, despite his usual abrasiveness. It took several moments, but finally the group of leaf-eaters began their slow trek back to the valley, not appearing to notice two 'bushes' who were slowly walking close behind.

The bush with the green tail whispered at its counterpart, "Dibs on the Swimmer and the Spiketail."

The other bush counter-offered, "Fine. I get the Longneck and the Flyer. We can divvy up the Fastrunner and the Little Biter after all the trouble they've put us through."

"What about the Threehorn?"

Silence reigned for several moments as both bushes stopped to consider that question. Finally, however, the bush with the green tail sighed and resumed his trek.

"She's yours if you want her."

The gray tailed bush shook its tail from side to side, "I'm not going anywhere near her."

Another long sigh came from the second bush. "So the Threehorn lives."

"Yes," the gray tailed bush responded flatly, with just the tiniest waver of fear in its tone, "the Threehorn lives."

"Heh…" the other bush mocked, "Where is Redclaw when you need him?"

A soft, decidedly non-scary roar echoed up through the ravine behind the bushes. For a moment, they turned toward the source of the noise. Then, as if on cue, they both shivered in unison.

"Never mind."

Both bushes sprinted in the direction of the valley. It was far better to seek aid from the annoying little shits and their terrifying parents than the lovestruck abomination outside of its walls.

* * *

 **Back in the valley:**

The little longneck grunted with exertion as he pushed the last of the fallen saplings into their resting site at the bottom of the hill. Why couldn't the valley had exiled them? Or grounded them to their nests? Or sent them back into the Mysterious Beyond? Anything but take orders from Miss Maia…

"Is… is this good, Miss Maia?"

The Maiasaura stared at the longneck for a moment from her vantage point on her nest on the top of the hill.

"Very good, Littlefoot."

The longneck gave a sigh of relief. Finally, the nightmare was coming to an end.

"Now you only have the other three sides of the hill to clear."

The longneck collapsed. Yep, exile was beginning to look like a better option at this point.

* * *

Cera groaned as she buried her face into the family nest once again. She'd have been happier pushing boulders out of the nesting area. At least those were easy to spot. But, apparently not to be outdone by the other parents' punishments, her father had opted to give her a particularly nasty one.

Tricia had been complaining (loudly) all week about pebbles in her nest. With such a perfect opportunity, Topps had wasted no time in taking it, which was why Cera now found herself picking ridiculously small rocks out of her little sister's earth bed.

 _And all for the sake of some idiot Fastbiters,_ she thought, her teeth clenching instinctively.

"Missed a few on the other side," her father called out. Cera fought the urge to glare at him.

For once, she almost wished she was still being chased by Redclaw.

* * *

"Okay, you two need to stay in here while you get to stay in here. Otherwise you won't be able to stay here anymore."

Screech squinted at the Fastrunner, confusion all over his face.

"What now?"

Chomper opened his mouth slightly, "Um… what Ruby is saying is that you two need to stay in the Caverns otherwise the valley will chase you out."

Ruby nodded as if nothing was out of the ordinary, "That is what I said when I said what I said. And then we will have to find out where you two will go later… you cannot stay in the valley."

Thud drummed his claws on the hard floor of the cave, frowning. "I see. In that case, I don't suppose there's anything to eat in here, is there?"

Chomper looked a bit unnerved as he gave Ruby a glance, "Um… you're hungry already?"

"Well, you were supposed to be lunch," Screech pointed out matter-of-factly. Noting the young Sharptooth's frightened expression, he seemed to soften, if only a little.

"But if we ate you now, we'd lose our guides, so… you're safe."

"Well that is good to know," Ruby deadpanned, suddenly more sarcastic than usual, "But you cannot eat people in the valley without having people look for you."

Chomper suddenly widened his eyes like he remembered something. "Speaking of finding people, Ruby we…"

"Don't remind me, Chomper, because I don't want to be reminded. Mr. Domehead needs to lay off of the over-ripe sweet bubbles then they might lay off of him."

Thud suddenly perked up. An inebriated Domehead was just too perfect a target not to at least acknowledge.

"We could help you with that," he hissed softly, "we Fastbiters are wonderful trackers."

Ruby sighed but then gave Chomper a look.

"Alright, but if the valley sees you then you are on your own."

* * *

"Are all of the children accounted for, dear?"

Ducky suppressed a groan. She loved all of her brothers and sisters, but she did not exactly love keeping track of them all.

Especially the brothers and sisters who had just begun to swim.

"I think I have them all," she said, gleeful yet clearly exhausted at the same time, "yep, yep, yep!" It was at that moment, however, that she saw Spike's concerned expression as he tried to block a pair of tiny swimmers from going into the "big swimmer" side of the stream, only to have them begin to climb over him as if he were a rock in the water. "Oh, no, no, no, Trina and Flun! That is for big swimmers!"

Ducky quickly got the two small swimmers off of her brother's back and nudged them back towards the rest of the little troop of toddlers. She wore a happy expression, as she usually did, but even her patience had limits.

"After this I do not think I want to leave the valley again, Spike. Nope, nope, nope."

Spike grunted his agreement as he moved to block five more swimmers from going to the deep side of the stream. This left ducky with a brief moment to consider their situation. _All of us are working instead of playing, and we are even helping Screech and Thud! How can this day get any worse?_

As if to mock her, her mother quickly answered her question.

"You know, one day you'll find a male swimmer who catches your eye. Maybe you'll settle down, have a few dozen kids, and when that day comes, you'll be glad you listened to me…"

Ducky closed her eyes. She just had to ask.

* * *

"Now Mr. Domehead has to be around here somewhere. He cannot stumble as far as he can walk."

Ruby peeked over a bush, allowing her nostrils to absorb some of the fragrance. However she was quickly finding nothing of interest in the scents echoing in her brain. Just a few territorial claims from threehorns, something that smelled like a cross between a rotting snapping shell, and a fastbiter's territorial claim...

"Hey, not while I am here!"

The fastrunner jumped out of the way as the green fastbiter responded to nature's call with all of the subtlety of a thunderstorm. She could only facepalm and shake her head in response.

"Allow me," Screech announced, stepping over Thud's mark with all the grace and elegance of a one-legged Yellowbelly, "unlike your sheltered valley sniffer, mine is attuned to scents like these."

And with that, the fastbiter lifted his pointed snout into the air and took a deep whiff. Almost immediately, he seemed to swoon as his stomach growled.

"Well I'm sure there's a Domehead scent in there somewhere," he muttered, trying his best to sort through the onrush of delicious scents.

"Let me try!" a small voice piped up from Ruby's side. Chomper left the cover of his mentor, standing almost fearlessly next to the much larger Sharptooth. Mimicking Screech's own posture, he raised his snout to the sky and breathed deeply.

"Waste of time," Screech grumbled, "too many damn scents and not enough-

"I've got it!" Chomper squeaked triumphantly, interrupting an utterly dumbfounded Screech.

Ruby's eyes brightened as she waved for the two fastbiters to hide in the bushes again, "Where do you smell him, Chomper?"

The young Sharptooth sniffed again, narrowing down his list of options. Furrowing his brow, he said, "I think… somewhere near Mrs. Maia's nest. The smells are mixing with each other."

"Showoff," Screech mumbled just under his breath.

Ruby's eyes opened up in panic. "Oh no! If he falls on those eggs…"

"Then dinner is served," Thud said in a voice halfway between a whimper and a sigh. It was hard to miss the abundance of saliva that had gathered about his jaws.

Ruby placed her hands on her hips in a look of motherly indignation. "Now we can't have the valley seeing you two, or especially Miss Maia! So you two go hide in the Caverns until we take care of this. I don't know how to explain this to myself so how could I explain this to the valley?"

"Yeah, and maybe if the gang is done with their work then we can help you move?" Chomper added before taking another sniff. "I smell Littlefoot!"

"I smell Littlefoot too," Thud stated in a conspiratorial whisper, licking his chops.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I am not surprised, Chomper. Littlefoot lives here."

Chomper sniffed one more time, wrinkling his snout. "He smells angry, too! Maybe his grandparents gave him a bad punishment?"

* * *

Littlefoot approached the slumped, slumbering, rock-gray form of Mr. Domehead with no small amount of trepidation. It was widely known the ornery old male had a habit of breaking things when he was sweet-sick like this. Usually things that screamed or fought back. Of course, half the time he was just as likely to be the most docile creature in the Valley, less harmful than even the most innocent hatchling. Littlefoot found himself hoping for the latter situation as he drew nearer, trying to approach as quietly as possible.

The domehead snored, seemingly unaware of the longneck behind him or the pile of sticks that he was resting upon. A pile of sticks that Littlefoot would have to move to once again be free from Miss Maia's demanding work duty. His snores soon became almost melodic in their cadence, but Littlefoot could assign no meaning to them.

"M- Mr. Domehead?" he said, silently cursing himself for not speaking up. Littlefoot held his breath as he took a few steps closer. The domehead smelled like rotten tree sweets and bad decisions.

"Mr. Domehead?" he tried again, speaking louder this time, "hello?"

The domehead snorted and for a moment Littlefoot thought he had succeeded in waking the drunkard. But that was when the melodic snores turned into something else entirely.

"Hell-ro my tree-sweet! Hell-ro my dear… I love your front side… may I see your rear… hic!"

Littlefoot stopped stone cold in his tracks. Something told him his grandparents would not approve of this particular ditty.

"Mr. Domehead!" he yelped, barking out his name as quickly as possible. Still, the old dinosaur barely stirred. Littlefoot looked down at the sticks below him. An idea was beginning to form, and not a particularly good one at that. Some of the sticks were loose, easy to get a hold of, and with just enough force applied to just the right place…

Littlefoot grabbed one of the sticks between his teeth before he could second guess himself. A sharp jab to the flank should do the trick. Perhaps if he ran away in time, he might think it was nothing more than a buzzer sting.

Eyes closed and teeth gritted, Littlefoot did the deed.

The domehead's eyes rolled open, "Whoa my sweet-pod, aren't you feisty this morn…" Without any motor control to speak of he promptly began to roll over, sending his tail into the air as his head began to turn towards his unknown attacker. Littlefoot let out a cry of surprise as he jumped back, coming face to face with the Domehead, and his terrible, rank breath.

"Urgh… you not a pretty lady. Hic! No offense, miss."

It was at this point, when Littlefoot's patience had dissipated in a sea of exasperation, that he heard sudden movement behind him. Taking a quick look he could see Ruby's tell-tail pink form and a certain purple sharptooth. The 'guests' behind them though…

"Sharpteeth!"

The domehead shot up like a geyser spout as he struggled to stay on his feet. For a moment it looked like he was running in place as he half-ran, half-fell in front of his former resting place. But soon he was able to stumble away from the hill with commendable speed, only hitting a few trees on the way towards the center of the valley.

"I told you two not to follow us or you would be seen! And now Mr. Domehead has seen you!"

Littlefoot turned to see a rather angry looking fastrunner glare at the two fastbiters with an almost motherly glare. It was as if Ruby did not care that the two fastbiters were Redclaw's former underlings and could eat her as a mid-evening snack.

"No witnesses!" Screech crowed, crouching down as he prepared to spring.

"Wait!" Littlefoot and Chomper cried almost immediately as they ran in front of the fastbiters, causing Littlefoot to accidentally trample his friend. The Fast Biters ground to a screeching halt, mere claw-lengths away from trampling their "hosts."

"What?" Screech hissed, perturbed that a perfectly reasonable kill was now wandering free.

"You two could hide in the Caverns! No one will believe Mr. Domehead!" Came a muffled voice from underneath the longneck's prone form.

Amazingly enough, Ruby was still dedicated to her task as translator, despite Littlefoot's obvious discomfort. Glad that he still had some idea of what was being discussed, Littlefoot nodded happily in agreement.

The two fastbiters looked to one another, grumbled something unintelligible, and then glowered down at the young dinosaurs.

"If this really is the best way-" Screech began.

"We'll do it," Thud finished.

Ruby was still in full-on mother hen mode as she nodded and waved for them to go back. "Good, now back to the Caverns before dinner. Shooo!"

"Fine," the two said in unison, looking for all the world like a pair of angsty young adults.

"Um… Ruby?" Littlefoot asked as he and Chomper both rose from the ground.

Ruby turned around looking unconcerned, "Yes, Littlefoot?"

Littlefoot opened his mouth but then looked at Chomper, unsure of how to begin. Thankfully his friend knew the right words to say.

"You just talked to Screech and Thud like you talk to me when I make you mad!"

The fastrunner considered this for a moment as her expressions took on a curious pattern. Shifting first from recognition, and then surprise, followed by fear. Finally though she laughed slightly, realizing that she went so far into 'protective mother mode' that she didn't quite realize who she was talking to. But at least no lasting damage was done.

That was when she felt Chomper tugging at her tail.

"What exactly are we going to give them for dinner?"

Ruby blinked. _Shit._ Fortunately, Chomper was quick to back her up.

"That won't be a problem at all! I'm sure there's loads of fish in the rivers around here. Besides, we only need enough for the two of you," he added, smiling for the first time at Screech and Thud, "how hard can that be?"

* * *

Seven sore, exhausted dinosaurs lay in the Secret Caverns side by side next to a massive pile of fish bones and two very content Fastbiters. The occasional groan escaped from the collapsed leaf eaters, often followed by a regretful glance at the bone pile.

"So it turns out," Chomper muttered, giving his aching jaws a stretch, "fishing is actually a lot harder than it looks."

"Let me guess, you said something like 'oh fishing, how hard can that be?' before you actually agreed to this, didn't you?" a very perturbed and disgusted Cera groaned, cleaning what she only assumed was fish… goop from her horn. The less the thought about it, she reasoned-

(and the less she smelled of it)

-the better.

"Um… how do you get the smell off?" Littlefoot asked with dismay as he attempted to roll once more in a pile of smelly petals he had accumulated on the cave floor, only to again recognize the telltale stench of the fishy cargo that the gang had transported on his back.

Screech looked up at the Longneck, confused. He'd been busy licking his claws clean, and now stared dumbfounded at the strange question he'd been asked.

"What'd he say?" he asked Ruby and Chomper.

"He wants to know how to get the smell off. You know, from the fish," Chomper replied.

"Oh," Screech snickered, "isn't it obvious?" he returned to his licking.

The sauropod looked confused for a moment before his eyes went wide with recognition. A disgusted expression then leapt off his face as he redoubled his rolling.

"I do not think rolling is going to make you smell better, Littlefoot. If it made you smell better then it would have worked on everyone else." Ruby noted with exhaustion.

"The water worked on me!" Ducky affirmed as Spike nodded.

"Yeah, but your momma wouldn't think anything of you guys getting a night bath. But what about Petrie? Momma think me wrong in the head!"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Cera muttered under her breath.

"What you say?" Petrie demanded with annoyance, before Chomper waved everyone off.

"Guys, we need to think! Do you want to get fish every day?"

An almost simultaneous chorus of 'no' echoed throughout the cave, causing both fastbiters to wince at the noise. Then, as if to punctuate the point, Littlefoot tried to rub his nose in the flower petals once more.

"Maybe we could lead them out the back way, you know?" Littlefoot continued to rub his face in the petals before finally giving up, sitting on his haunches, "Redclaw isn't over by the Hidden Canyon, is he?"

"I don't know, why don't we just stick our faces out there and check?" Cera grumbled sarcastically, not willing to let go of her own leftover fishing troubles. "But if it's the fastest way to get them out of the Valley, I suppose I could go along with that. Who cares what happens to them after they leave anyway?"

Chomper winced, glad the Fastbiters couldn't understand the leaf eater tongue. "Well… we did agree to help them, Cera."

"And we will. Right up until we kick them out of our Valley."

Littlefoot gave a tried glance to his threehorn friend, "They spared us, Cera. They could have gobbled us up and tried to run off, but they did not. You know that." He paused for a moment before stomping on one of the petals in disgust, "And then we agreed to return the favor, even though we could have easily told our parents that they were in the bushes. Or did you forget about helping all of us trick our folks?"

Cera scrunched her face up tightly as she pondered what Littlefoot had said. As usual, he was right. He was almost always right. They _had_ stuck up for the Fastbiters up until now, and if there was one lesson she'd always taken away from her father, it was that a promise was a promise, not something meant to be broken easily. Giving in, she sighed deeply.

"I guess you're right. But still, how do we know the Hidden Canyon is safe? If we go and check it out, and it turns out Red Claw is waiting for us there…" she let the thought hang, but everyone had a pretty good idea what she meant.

"And we eat most of the stinky fruits so Redclaw could get in valley!" Petrie noted.

Ruby nodded. "If he sees us go through the Hidden Canyon then he might know that the Hidden Canyon is a way through!"

Littlefoot nodded as he lowered his head in an expression of intense concentration. The stakes were especially high now. Even though the passages into the valley were not exactly unknown to the sharpteeth, including the two currently in as their 'guests', allowing Redclaw an excuse to pursue them into its depths was not a risk worth taking. If some of the valley residents died because of their actions they would never forgive themselves.

"Maybe we can ask our parents? If it is only Redclaw then maybe the valley can work together in chasing him off?" Ducky asked with some enthusiasm.

Chomper immediately shook his head. "I don't know if that's such a good idea, Ducky. You could get in a lot of trouble if they knew we let two Sharpteeth into the Great Valley in the first place."

"Me know!" Petrie said, not to be outdone by the others. "Remember big Flyer that saved us from Smoking Mountain back when we chase Stone of Cold Fire? Maybe he big enough to carry two Fastbiters!"

Clearly the idea had seemed better in his head. Most of the gang just stared at him awkwardly until Cera broke the silence.

"Oh yes, that big Flyer. Sure I remember him. You guys are old friends, right? You keep up with him all the time, I'm sure. In fact, I bet you know exactly where to find him right now, don't you?" she stated, staring pointedly at the Flyer.

"Or… maybe we don't do that," Petrie said, backing down.

As the conversation went on, both Screech and Thud were having one of their own, staring interestedly down as the gang discussed their potential plans. Though they couldn't understand a word of it, both Sharpteeth found the conversation fascinating.

"So this is how they always manage to stay one step ahead?" Screech asked, picking a bit of stray gristle from his teeth.

"They must have done the babbling when we weren't looking, because I only saw them running," Thud noted as he yawned before finally saying the subtext that had colored their observations for the better part of this most extraordinary of days "You're surprised they kept their end of the agreement?"

"Well, a little, yes," Screech nodded. "Honestly, for a while I thought they were just fattening us up so we couldn't run away if that old Threehorn came by. You know the one, right?"

"Grey, the Head Stomper?" he muttered using the name that Topps had earned among those who feasted upon flesh.

Screech winced. "Yep, that's the one. I guess I didn't really know Leaf Eaters had it in them to hold up their end of a bargain. I guess there's still time, though."

"Chomper did not leave me to my fate when he had the chance on the rocks," Thud noted, "And if these leaf-eaters have earned his respect then that is worth something."

Screech actually smiled at his comrade then, a warm, genuine gesture which marked the first time that day he'd felt at all at ease. "You know what? Maybe you're right."

He watched them go on, clearly arguing about something, though he couldn't quite make out what.

"I mean, I'll still eat them though. Not them, but definitely others."

Thud rolled his eyes, "Obviously, otherwise we would starve."

"What?" Screech tapped Thud playfully with his tail, "you don't want to live off fish for the rest of your life?"

Thud glared at his companion, "Though I enjoy the taste and smell better than the flathead, a fastbiter does not live on fish and eggs alone."

Screech nodded contentedly. "On that, we can agree."

"Guys?" Chomper said, raising his voice in the hopes that it might carry over the din of conversation as he spoke to his friends, "I think I might have an idea. But I don't know if it's a good one."

This caught the duo's attention.

"So the babbling lead to something being decided?" Thud joked.

"I think so."

The Fastbiters sat at rapt attention. "Go on," Screech said.

This was when Cera, Ducky, and Spike also rose to attention, not realizing that their counterparts had come up with a proposal while they had argued the merits of the Hidden Canyon.

"Really?" Cera said, failing to hide the skepticism in her voice, "okay then, what's your plan?"

"W- well," Chomper stammered nervously, "we would, uh, need to get my parents involved."

"Your parents!" Cera practically yelled. "This is the Great Valley, not the Great Buffet!"

Screech groaned as he rubbed his ears, "I really wish 'Yellow, the Loud Mouth' would keep it down."

"Now, Cera, maybe Chomper has a point? His mommy and daddy helped us on the island."

"Yeah, but Redclaw the reason his mommy and daddy leave in the first place!" Petrie countered, "why they help out now?"

Ruby pointed with great confidence, "Because now Redclaw's helpers can be their helpers! And with help Redclaw will not have a chance!"

Thud looked at his companion. "First the Pink One acts like our mother and now she is making alliances for us?"

"It sure seems that way," Screech groaned, "Pink One, what exactly are we agreeing to?"

Ruby walked over to the center of the circle, gesturing to her friends as she explained her plan. "It's a simple solution to a not-so-simple problem. Since Redclaw is our problem, then the solution must be to get rid of him. And that is easier with Screech and Thud… um… here."

"Wonderful, Ruby," Cera groaned, "What would we do without a fastrunner mind on our side?"

Ruby ignored the barb as she continued. "But we can't get rid of him ourselves, or with our parents, but maybe we can use Chomper's parents? Redclaw has two problems: he is a sharptooth and he is mean. So by letting two sharpteeth take his territory we can at least take care of one of those problems."

"So we're trading Sharpteeth for Sharpteeth?" Cera said, "somehow that's not a very comforting thought."

"Yeah, but Cera, it's never been safe outside the Valley," Littlefoot pointed out, "and there's not much we can do today or tomorrow to make it that way. But this way, at least we'll have someone outside our walls that we can trust."

"Trust to say hello before they eat us," Cera retorted before Chomper exploded.

"Cera! My mommy and daddy are not mean!"

The threehorn sighed. "Look. They helped us on the island and I am sure they are very nice for sharpteeth…" she quickly continued before Chomper could respond to her snide remark, "But not only is the valley not going to agree with this, but how exactly are we going to send them a message without being eaten ourselves? It isn't like we can fly there."

As if on cue, everyone in the cave turned to look at Petrie.

"What, m- me?" Petrie stammered, staggering back away from his friends, "me can't fly that far by meself! What if me get lost, or eaten by Sharptooth Flyer?" He scratched his head, running through what felt like a million excuses before he settled on the one that seemed to make the most sense.

"Wait! Me can't take message because me not speak Sharptooth!"

"You don't have to!" Chomper exclaimed, "just repeat what I tell you, word for word!"

Cera exchanged a glance with Ruby for a moment, before a slight grin appeared on Ruby's beak.

"You know, Petrie, you are growing up very fast. Maybe you wouldn't get into trouble if you did it to do something that wasn't trouble?"

"Huh?" Petrie scratched his head in confusion, "me not growing up any faster than usual. What you mean?"

"Maybe your momma will not go after you if she thinks you are doing what grown up flyers do. What was that again? What your older brother did during the last Wet Time?"

"The Pursuit of Endless Day?! Me can't do that! Petrie die!"

Littlefoot stepped forward, "But you don't have to actually do that. All you have to do is act like that is what you are doing. You can have a helper on that, right?"

But Petrie was nearly catatonic. "You not know what you ask Petrie! Me cannot stop flying except to sleep, and me have to fly for seven days!"

"But you don't have to fly for seven whole days, Petrie!" Ducky pointed out helpfully, "no, no, no. You only have to fly to Chomper's mommy and daddy! You don't have to do the Pursuit of Endless Day today."

"But everyone else will think you are," Screech said, the idea catching on more and more as Chomper translated for him. "This is good. This is _really_ good. Imagine what sort of hunts we could accomplish with you seven helping us out!"

Chomper chose not to translate the last part.

Petrie looked ready to argue, but then suddenly looked down, deflated.

"Me guess me can ask Guido to come, but… me cannot lie about this. Me not lie about Bright Circle," he looked up at the two fastbiters before looking at the sharpteeth as Chomper translated, "What sharpteeth say before doing something dangerous?"

Littlefoot suddenly looked concerned, "Now Petrie you don't need to..."

Thud nodded at the flyer, "May your journey be swift."

Petrie took off after muttering a single word, "Thanks."

The brown flyer disappeared into the void of the night, making the darkn-ess of the cave feel even more inhospitable. In the wake of their friend leaving all of the leaf-eaters present were left in stunned silence. Littlefoot with his mouth hanging agape. Chomper with his tiny hands on his face. And Ruby with widened eyes. Only Cera reacted with something other than surprise or regret, giving the now empty darkness a respectful nod. A show of honor and respect that Petrie would have never expected and would never actually see.

"He's brave," Screech said quietly, speaking in a thick Fastbiter dialect, one that he hoped Chomper could not decipher, "maybe braver than any Sharptooth I've ever known."

Thud stared at the darkness with a grim expression before intoning an old saying that he had never understood until now..

"Beware the sudden bravery of the frightened one. For he has already slain his prey."

* * *

 **Ten Days Later:**

"Urgh… Petrie going to be sick…"

Cera glared up at the crumpled Flyer on her back. "Then get off! You're supposed to be a grown-up now, so you don't have any excuses anymore!"

"I think that they gave you too many of the weird sweet bubbles, Petrie. I do, I do." A certain swimmer noted before noting his state and quickly moving out of the way of the expected torrent.

Petrie appeared to recover, however, which only added to his headache. "What Petrie going to do? Me not know it make me grownup! Now me have to find own nest… protect own nest…"

"Find a girl flyer you fancy," Cera added with a mischievous smirk.

"This not funny! Petrie life over!"

Littlefoot coughed as he tried to think of the right words to say. For once however he was at a complete loss and looked at Ruby and Chomper for any suggestions.

"Well growing up can be hard, Petrie, but you are the first grownup of your siblings. And you know what that means… you don't have to worry about being the last."

Petrie stared blankly at the pink Fastrunner. "But me not want to be _first_ either!"

"I'm sure we could fit you in the Secret Caverns somewhere," Chomper offered, "you could live like a Cave Flyer! That'd be pretty awesome, wouldn't it?"

The little Flyer shuddered, bringing up mental images of dark, cramped, places, places where hundreds of little eyes were peering at him just beyond sight, and immediately shook his head.

"No, no me fine living outside Secret Caverns. Me thank you for offer, but no thank you!"

"Don't want to live next to Screech and Thud?" Cera teased again, earning her a glare from her friends. "What?"

"Hopefully Screech and Thud will have a _new_ home if Chomper's folks have their way." Littlefoot affirmed as he yawned deeply. He had forgotten how late it was until that moment. After all their parents had allowed them to stay up late with their flyer friend as he began his first night as an adult... And to act as designated carriers for the obviously overloaded flyer.

"You _did_ actually talk to them, right?" Cera, too, yawned as she asked the lump on her back.

Petrie glared down from above. "Of course me talk to them! They say they right behind me when I leave!"

"Petrie, you don't speak Sharptooth," Cera countered, "how could you possibly know they said that?"

"Er… best guess?" Petrie said, elevating his wings in a shrug as he flashed a sheepish grin towards Cera. The Threehorn groaned softly and rolled her eyes.

"Well I, for one, am not going to stay up all night waiting."

Littlefoot grinned at the opening his friend had just given him. "What, Cera? Got less stamina than an exhausted flyer?"

Ruby rubbed her head. They are never going to sleep now, are they?

Spike's snoring only mocked her mental distress as the young stegosaurus had fallen asleep while standing up. Much to her amusement, he'd even managed to continue chewing the grass in his mouth as he snoozed.

Cera turned her snout to the sky indignantly. "Hah! As if Petrie actually made that whole trip without sleeping once… I bet I could have made the trip, and come back with a whole lot less complaining about it too."

"You think me complain?" Petrie argued, "you should hear Guido! He have to find new launch perch every time we stop!"

"But yet you are still a kid like us, Cera." Ducky noted before hearing Petrie's groan. "Sorry, Petrie, you are still a kid to me."

The flyer nodded. "Thanks, Ducky. Me think."

"Um, guys?"

"He's still a kid to me, too," Cera muttered, "I couldn't take any grown-up like that seriously."

"Cera, you don't take any grown-ups seriously," Littlefoot offered.

"Guys!"

All of the dinosaur's present turned towards the voice of the small sharptooth as he waved his arms around excitedly.

"What is it, Chomper?" Littlefoot inquired.

Chomper opened his stubby arms in an inquisitive fashion. "Has anyone seen Screech or Thud tonight?"

A hush fell over the group as they tried to recall where they'd last seen the two fastbiters. Even Petrie seemed more awake.

"Well no look at Petrie!" the little flyer said, "me celebrating all day!"

"I haven't seen them since this morning," Cera mumbled as she recalled her fish-hauling trek earlier that day with no small amount of disgust.

"We usually help them get fish in the evening so they aren't hungry in the evening!" Ruby exclaimed as she held her beak in her mouth.

"How could we have forgotten? We do not want anyone to lose their brothers or sisters. Oh no, no, no!"

"We have to find them!" Chomper growled, raising his snout high as he did. "They can't be far away."

"You have the sniffer, Chomper!" Littlefoot noted as he looked around in the pitch darkness, "Lead the way!"

Cera tried to reassure herself, "Well there is no screaming so that's a good sign."

"Not always," Chomper whispered darkly, "Sometimes fastbiters are so quick, no one hears the screams."

The others simply looked at him in shock, mortified.

"Oh! There's the scent!" he said, ignoring them as he inhaled deeply, "come on!"

The others followed in silence. Deeply concerned about what they would find.

* * *

 **Just outside of the valley:**

Chomper froze just ahead of an old, tall tree.

"Why'd we stop?" Cera asked, only for the little Sharptooth to whirl around and shush her.

"Look!" he said in a hushed voice, pointing with his small arms towards the trunk of the tree. It's bark was flayed, the tree's greenish-white flesh exposed to the light of the Night Circle. Tree blood leaked from its gashes, and below, the ground was torn and churned, as if ripped by desperately struggling claws.

"Something bad happened here," Chomper whispered, "I've seen stuff like this before, usually near a kill." Then, horrified, he added, "Oh no, this is all my fault! I should have remembered to feed them!"

Littlefoot sucked in a deep breath, forcing her instincts down. "Do you smell… anyone that we know, Chomper?" The implications were clear.

The purple Sharptooth shook his head. "No, I don't. But… just look at the tree! _Something_ had to happen here to cause that. Maybe my sniffer's just not working."

Ruby stepped forward reluctantly to touch the gashes on the tree. As she followed them she noticed that they did not end, even at eye level. It was almost like someone was…

She looked up.

"Will you idiots keep it down! We are trying to hide here!"

The entire gang stared at the top of the tree in shock. What lay before them was a sight that challenged anyone's ability of comprehension. The poor tree had been slashed from base to crest, only to have its highest branches hang precariously low due to the massive weight they were now being forced to bear. The weight of two full-grown fastbiters.

"What you hiding from?" Petrie called up to them after Chomper had properly translated for the two.

Thud nearly slid off of his wooden savior as he reinforced his grip into its bark. "Shhh… can't you hear them?" Chomper translated in hushed tones.

Cera frowned. "Hear them? Hear who?" She turned to Chomper and Ruby, "who's he talking about?"

Ducky huddled close to her brother. "I do not hear anything but if it scares sharpteeth then it scares me." Spike grunted his agreement as he huddled in the bushes.

Littlefoot looked back and forth with concern before whispering up the tree. "What is it that's so close to the valley? Maybe the valley can help?"

Cera grunted as she looked around with concern. "Yes, I am sure the valley will help Screech and Thud in a heartbeat! Now let's get out of here while we have a chance."

"We promised that we would help them, Cera." Littlefoot insisted as he looked around for the possible source of the threat. "Come on down, we can make a run for the valley together."

Nervously, the two fastbiters began to work their way down the trunk of the tree, clearly much slower than they'd gone up in the first place.

"Why you both out of valley anyway?" A now rather awake flyer asked from his sanctuary on Cera's back.

"Well you see-" Screech began, but was drowned out immediately as a bone-shaking roar ripped through the mountains nearby. With a decidedly undignified yelp, Screech scooted back up the tree. Thud was right behind him.

The gang was now in a blind panic as they began to sprint back the way they came. The time for thinking had long since passed. There was no room for bravery when one was under the roar of a predator in the night.

That was except for one member of the gang.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

The gang froze. One might have heard the sound of a falling leaf in the ensuing silence. As eight pairs of eyes swept over the surrounding area, all converged on the shape of a yellow Threehorn frozen in place a tail-length up the trunk of the tree. The silence was then promptly shattered as she lost her grip, tumbling to the ground with a resounding "oof!"

Ruby's fear turned into excitement as she chased off after the purple sharptooth. "It's Chomper's Mom and Dad! It worked, Petrie!"

"Come on!" Chomper squeaked in excitement, "let's go meet them!"

"Wait, you're sure?" Screech asked apprehensively from the top of the tree. Chomper nodded eagerly.

"Positive!"

"Look out below!" Screech cried out, loosening his hold on the bark just before realizing that Thud was still beneath him. The two plummeted down the tree, a whirl of flailing tails, claws, and teeth.

And below it all, the young Threehorn directly in their path could only watch in awestruck acceptance of the inevitable.

Littlefoot ran over to the pileup with some concern as his friend's yellow tail stuck out of the assemblage of claws and snouts like a flower sticking out of a dung pile. It only took a moment for the threehorn to escape from her sharptooth prison without injury. In only took her a moment longer to give her friend a deadly warning.

"This never happened. You understand me? This. Never. Happened."

Littlefoot merely nodded as he tried desperately to bite his tongue.

It seemed that threehorns were the best at everything, except for climbing trees.

* * *

"Chomper, your mother and I raised you better than doing this shit. This is something that your little sap-sucker friends would do. It is so dark out here that it is hard to see your own ass, so how would you see a potential rival?"

"And speaking of sap-suckers," the lighter-colored female Sharptooth added, "what are you doing encouraging _them_ to do this? They're just asking to end up as some fastbiter's dinner."

Chomper winced when his mother brought up fastbiters, but did his best to make his innocent child face. "Aww, Mom. We were looking for some friends of ours that we thought were in trouble."

"I'll say they were in trouble out here. You and your friends should know better, sneaking around in the dark like this… what if Redclaw caught you?" she sighed, accidentally blasting the young leaf-eaters with the stench of a thousand night terrors from her jaws, "anyway, you young ones should get back to the valley, where it's safe. I'm sure we can find whoever you're looking for," she shared a glance with her mate, "and then… we can do what we came here for."

"It's about time that we paid that bastard back," Dein affirmed as he rose to his full height, "And if his two shit-for-brains chasers are out then he will fall easily under our might."

"Shit-for-brains?!" an irate, raspy voice piped up from behind a large rock near the gang, "who're you calling sh-"

The voice fell silent as the sound of a tail striking scales replaced it.

"Crap," the voice muttered weakly.

The two tyrannosauruses sprung into action to protect their son and his leafeater friends from the fiends.

"They really are idiots, aren't they?" Terri remarked, snarling at the rock as two cowering fastbiters emerged from behind it..

"See, son? They snuck up on you…"

Chomper protested, "Dad, wait!"

But Chomper was too far away to intervene on the behalf of the two dimwitted fastbiters. That duty fell upon a certain Oviraptor.

"They're on our side, sir!"

"All the more reason to get them before they get away!" Dein retorted as he threatened to advance passed the fastrunner that was blocking his path. Ruby's defiant stance beginning to falter as the massive sharptooth bore down on their longtime foes.

"Stand aside, Ruby," Terri hissed, "if you knew how many times these two put Chomper in danger, you'd let us finish them right here and now. Trust me, it'll only save you a lot of trouble in the future."

"They saved our lives!" Littlefoot practically screamed. Chomper translated for him immediately.

"Have we taught you nothing?" Terri shot back, "they work with Redclaw. Whatever they told you, it's for their own benefit."

"But we made a deal with them because they made a deal with us." Ruby countered, "They saved us from Redclaw so we promised to save them from Redclaw too."

Now the rest of the gang was standing beside the purple sharptooth and their Oviraptor friend. Neither of the two sharpteeth could have imagined their quest for vengeance would be stopped by a blockage of leaf-eater younglings.

Ruby sighed. "And… uh… they were thinking about making a deal with you too."

Chomper did not immediately translate those words which made the gang stare at their friend until he did so.

Littlefoot blinked. "What deal?"

Chomper sighed before giving Ruby a look.

Ruby coughed before answering the question in sharptooth for the two tyrannosauruses. "The battle against Redclaw will go better if you have some backup," she gestured at the two fastbiters who were now cowering behind a rock, their tails shaking like stalks in the wind, "Here are two chasers."

Dein groaned. "Great. Just great. Are you sure the longneck wouldn't want to be a chaser? He might be more effective than these ankle-biters."

Neither Chomper nor Ruby chose to translate this.

"Hmph, I don't like it," Terri growled, "if we're supposed to believe they turned on Redclaw so easily, I have a hard time believing they'll work with us."

"It isn't the Big Guy we want harmed.."

Against his own will a green fastbiter forced himself to walk towards the two sharpteeth, his shaking legs giving away his tremendous fear. He knew that the two-footers had to smell his sincerity or they were both dead.

"Thud!" Screech called, but Thud ignored him.

"Your son spared me when I was trapped on some rocks… and I… misled Redclaw when he had your son cornered. But as much as he has turned… I can help chase him off but I will not help slay him. I owe Redclaw that much," he shook his head, "Beside he is _not_ the real reason that we had to leave. He has found a new companion instead of us."

Terri's jaws widened, exposing her teeth. "What?! The Flyer never mentioned this. Who?"

For the first time, in a while, Chomper finally spoke up.

"I don't know who it is, but she's a girl."

"Not just any girl," Screech added, gathering up the courage to stand beside his friend, "a mate. A potential one at least." The final part of his statement caught both Chomper and Ruby by surprise.

Terri and Dein looked at one another. A mating pair was dangerous enough to begin with, but if they didn't stop them now, there would be even _more_ Red Claws to deal with…

Dein held his gaze for several moment before giving the slightest nod to his mate.

"This… changes things somewhat," Terri said contemplatively. "We might have to take a different approach." She looked down at the fastbiters. This time, she didn't seem quite as upset by their presence as before.

"But if we're going to do this, and do this right, then you two cannot be present."

Dein nodded. "This has to be between us two-footers alone."

Screech and Thud looked at one another. It was obvious that they had no idea how to proceed.

"We'll have to wait until daytime, of course," Terri pointed out, "it'd be wrong to challenge them at night."

Challenge them? Now Chomper was confused as well.

"Aren't you going to chase them away?" he asked his parents hesitantly.

Dein looked at his son with a kindly expression before forcing a cold exterior once more. "That depends on if they decide to run away."

"And for their sake, they'd better," Terri growled, "we've got quite a bit more experience with this than they do." Her gaze softened as she turned her attention back to the children.

"Chomper, tell your friends to return to the valley. Tomorrow, we'll sort this out ourselves."

Ruby looked back and forth between the sharpteeth. "Good luck, Mr. and Mrs. Two-footer."

But their son was more circumspect. "Mom… Dad? Will you be alright?"

Terri smiled down at the young dinosaurs. In the two years it had been since she and her mate had seen them, they had all truly grown. Two years ago, she wouldn't have believed anyone was capable of befriending Screech and Thud, but Chomper and his friends never ceased to amaze her. It was a shame they weren't all Sharpteeth, really.

She wanted to capture the moment and hold it in her mind's eye for the rest of her life- her son, happy, surrounded by friends and allies, and it wasn't just for sentimentality, either. It was because, deep down, she knew that tomorrow would hold the greatest risk she and Dein would ever face. True, Screech and Thud had always been thorns in their sides, but in the end, they were never the real threat. Redclaw had always been the one they feared, and the chances of them walking away from this one were unfavorably low.

But it had to be done. If for no other reason, than to provide closure for their son.

Terri blinked back the beginnings of a tear as she looked her son squarely in the eyes and nodded.

"We'll be fine, Chomper," she said in her best attempt at a comforting whisper, "you just focus on keeping your friends safe, okay?"

Chomper nodded, but both he and Ruby could see the shadow of doubt in her eyes. It scared them, more than they felt it should have.

"Now, run along home kids," Dein grumbled, rubbing up next to his mate reassuringly, "meet us here tomorrow, when the Bright Circle begins its fall. And if we're not here-"

"-which won't happen-" Terri cut in.

"-then head straight back to your valley as fast as you can. Don't look back, don't wait for us."

"What's he talking about?" Littlefoot whispered, but Chomper silenced him, holding up his claws.

"What about Screech and Thud?"

Dein smiled, his face contorting in a mischievous sneer, and despite all the progress they'd made towards reaching an understanding, the fastbiters both seemed to shrink away a little.

"We'd be delighted to have them for dinner," Dein growled.

A choked gasp could be heard behind Chomper as both fastbiters glanced at one another with uncertainty. Terri let loose a bellowing laugh.

"You idiots! There's a kill not far from here, a Longneck. I'm sure we wouldn't be too troubled to share… just this once."

Still not entirely convinced, the fastbiters nevertheless joined the larger sharpteeth, taking care to remain well clear of biting range. Chomper addressed his father once more before they turned to leave.

"Dad I gave them my word as a sharptooth. Are you sure that you aren't going to eat them?"

Dein smiled, "Pretty sure. Better than half."

"Dad!"

* * *

 **The next morning:**

"Young Lady, just what were you doing last night? Tria and I were about to warn the other parents when a _certain_ longneck tried to sneak by us."

Cera winced. She'd warned Littlefoot about being careful, but wasn't all too surprised to find that he'd been caught. Stealth wasn't exactly the Longneck's forte.

"It's no big deal, Dad," she shrugged, "we just stayed out to watch the stars. I thought I told you that."

Topps stared at her with the intensity of a thousand Bright Circles. Even though that was not an uncommon occurrence for her father it still did not lessen the effect. "Really? Because that's not the story that Littlefoot told."

Cera's eyes narrowed in a perfect imitation of her father, something she hoped would evoke some measure of pride within him. "What did the Longneck say?" she growled.

Tria walked onto the scene before the two egos could worsen the situation even further. "How about you tell us? You both should know the truth, correct?"

Cera's facade immediately fell away. Tria wasn't one to clash horns with; she was crafty, like a Longneck, and much more capable of seeing through her tricks.

"Well, uh... fine!" she stamped her foot on the ground indignantly, "we weren't supposed to tell anyone, but if you _must_ know," she rolled her eyes just to punctuate her point, "we were helping Petrie find a nest. He didn't want any of the other grown-ups to know."

Topps and Tria looked at one another for a moment, each sharing a knowing expression.

"And did the little 'adult' find a new nest?" Topps muttered with obvious mockery.

"Well, not exactly," Cera grumbled, falling into her role as she worked out the details internally, "he's kind of picky about where he wants to have a know how flyers are. And to tell you the truth," her voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper, "I don't think he wants you guys to know where he's living."

"Humph! Can't say I blame him!" Topps declared, "Telling who is an adult by how long they can go without sleeping… pah… if that was how we did it then every threehorn youngling would be an adult. What mediocre standards!"

Tria rolled her eyes. "That is sweet of you, dear, but you shouldn't sneak off at night."

"I know, mom. It won't happen again. I don't think any of my other friends is going to be an adult anytime soon," Cera replied flatly.

"Well?" Topps asked suddenly, "Did you find him a suitable nest?"

"Well that's the thing," Cera said, adding a subtly annoyed tone to her voice, "we didn't. He wants us to go help him again today."

Topps groaned. "Just stay in the valley this time. We don't have you children in the valley just to get gobbled up by something outside. You never know what could be sneaking by in the Mysterious Beyond."

"You can count on me," Cera smirked, "I'm gonna show that airhead that us Threehorns know a thing or two about finding nests. Just you watch!"

The old Threehorn's stony expression cracked into a proud smile.

"That's my girl," he said, beaming as his daughter ran off towards the valley floor, "takes after her dad." Turning back towards his daughter's rapidly disappearing shape, he yelled one more time: "remember! Stay out of the Mysterious Beyond!"

"No problem, dad! I'll be here in the valley all day!"

* * *

"You really couldn't stay put in the valley for one whole day, could you?" Dein said, glaring down at his son and the gaggle of leaf eaters behind him.

Littlefoot couldn't help but shift around awkwardly under the glare of the massive sharptooth. "Well, um, uh… we did have some help." As Chomper quickly translated an audible curse could be heard from a nearby tree.

Ruby, totally oblivious to the wishes of Screech and Thud, pointed in the direction of the tree. "Screech and Thud kept us safe!"

"Traitors!" a familiar voice screeched from nearby.

Terri looked towards the small tree, noting that it had a noticeable bend to its trunk and two noticeable tails sticking out of its foliage. "Idiots," she muttered.

Turning around again she sighed. "Well you children are here now. Try to be quiet and watch from a distance."

Dein looked concerned, "Dear?"

"...We will show you what we are dealing with before we deal with it." She finished.

"Oh," Dein sighed, "so it's time for _that_ talk? You don't think Chomper's a little young still?"

Terri gave him an odd look before hissing in a whisper. "Depending on how this goes, if we don't give him the talk now then we might not get the chance."

Dein frowned, looking down at Chomper and his friends. "I suppose you're right. Wouldn't want him learning how things work from the mulch munchers in the valley, now would we?" He straightened himself up, squaring his shoulders as he raised his head to the air, catching Redclaw's familiar stench immediately.

"Alright children," he growled, "stick close. It's time to put an end to this thing once and for all."

A chorus of grunts and growls answered their call, which both parents assumed were affirmations in the gibberish that the leaf-eaters called speech. As they slowly began to advance into the gorge they did not notice two very relieved fastbiters slink down the tree.

"That… that's it? I thought they would kill us for sure!" Thud exclaimed as he landed, appropriately enough, with a thud.

Screech shook his head, still in utter amazement. "These kids never cease to surprise me. If they can convince two full-grown two-footers to stand down, what do you think they'll be able to accomplish as adults? It's spooky, seeing prey leading us around like this."

* * *

In a gorge not far from where the children and the Sharptooth parents met, Redclaw and his soon-to-be mate stood facing one another, teeth bared, eyes alert, muscles tensed on a hair trigger. As they had done days before, they began to circle one another slowly, growling softly, sizing one another up. Any onlooker would assume a fight was about to commence, a vicious, bloody battle that would end only once one of the two was dead.

In reality, what happened next was far from this.

"Ah, in my territory again…so I take it that you are interested?"

The female roared, causing the entire gorge to tremble in the acoustic assault.

"Save the roaring for tonight, my treesweet. Though I like your spirit."

"Treesweet?!" the female spat, "you would compare me to a leaf eater's treat? You think of me that lowly? I'm wondering if I mistakenly entered some other Sharptooth's territory. Some other…" she smirked at the scarred terror, " _lesser_ Sharptooth's territory."

Redclaw recoiled, but maintained his swagger, "You slay me, dear!"

She glared at him. "I wish."

* * *

"Wow this is bad. Very bad." Dein whispered to himself as he peered into the gorge, the staring match between the lovers (enemies?) continuing on with the pickup lines getting even more and more awful as the moment dragged on.

"This is amateur at best," Terri agreed weakly, her pale complexion looking decidedly paler than usual, "what's he trying to do? Pick a fight?"

"What they talking about?" Petrie whispered worriedly to Littlefoot as he watched the goings-on below with terrified interest.

"Um…" Chomper muttered, not noticing Ruby placing her head into her hands behind him, "Right now he is insulting her, I think… Something about how she won't think he is lesser tonight."

"So they are fighting tonight?" Cera asked with incredulity. "Why don't they fight now? It'd be a whole lot more interesting than this."

Ruby groaned. "My mommy and daddy said I might have to give Chomper 'the talk', but I do not want to give everyone the talk."

"What talk?" Ducky asked curiously as the assault on decency continued in the gorge.

"Seriously did you learn to talk like that from your mother?" The female groaned, now more annoyed than upset by this admittedly determined male.

"My mom disappeared when I was young. I learned to talk like this from my father." Redclaw boasted.

"I think I know why she left now!" The female mocked.

"Well that explains a lot," Terri muttered quietly.

Dein, meanwhile, turned his focus to Chomper. "Son, do you see what Redclaw is doing here?"

Chomper nodded.

"If you ever want a female, do absolutely none of the things Redclaw is doing here." Dein looked at the scene in front of him, "The way things are going, we may not have to challenge him at all."

Chomper looked around awkwardly, now looking as miserable as Ruby. He was happy to see his parents again, but not happy to have _this_ conversation with his parents. "So he… um… is trying to mate with her?"

"Sort of," Terri said, "he's trying to convince her that he's worth mating with. Unfortunately he's doing a very poor job of it."

"Could somebody explain to us what in the heck is going on?" Cera finally roared. It was low enough not to be heard by the predators in the gorge, but loud enough to get the attention of both sharpteeth. Reluctantly Ruby turned around and answered.

"Redclaw wants to mate with the female to make eggs, but first he had to convince her to mate with him. And…"

A chorus of angry roars emanated from the female in the gorge.

Ducky shook her head. "It does not sound like he is doing a good job, oh, no, no, no."

"Not unless sharpteeth flirt by fighting," Cera deadpanned.

* * *

Redclaw could take many insults from the female and even her insistence on playing hard to get, but his mother was off limits.

"You take that back!"

The female looked at him coyly. "Why would I? You have said quite a lot that I would love to have taken back."

The tyrannosauruses circled one another for a few moments, but the downward turn of Redclaw's tail indicated the first hints of doubt. No female had ever turned down his charm. True, he had never courted a female before to try out his charm, but that was beside the point.

"Like what?" he growled defensively, instantly regretting his choice of words. He'd made a fatal mistake, showing a sign of weakness, and he could only hope it had gone unnoticed.

"Like how my eyes are as radiant as a yellowbelly's tail feathers," she responded immediately, "Or how my scent reminds you of a Clubtail herd on a warm night."

"Those are compliments," Redclaw insisted, "What is better on a warm night than the stench of clubtails? It means that food is on the way."

The female took a step closer. "And you think my scent means that mating is on the way, eh? Males… only thinking about what they get out of it. Tell me, what happens when you attack a herd of Clubtails, then? Chances are, you bite off more than you're prepared to chew. Something tells me you're not ready for this at all."

Redclaw took a step back, stunned. "What? No… no that's not it at all."

She continued, knowing that she had him beat. "The most fearsome two-footer in the Mysterious Beyond… is actually kind of a dork."

He took another step back. That word. That horrible word. His entire childhood had been spent running from that word. Being mocked by his siblings and by other sharpteeth who was in his father's territory, he had learned to hate the word and what it meant. After he had become the strongest sharptooth he had ensured that all those who dared question him were dead and gone! But now, after all of the effort, after all of that struggle, here he was.

He was still a dork. And even if he struck her down there would be no changing that.

Lowering his tail and his eyes he proceeded to walk away, leaving both the female and the gang in stunned silence. Redclaw had been defeated.

The female stood in shocked, stunned silence. She hadn't imagined such a simple word would have such a profound impact on the legendary Sharptooth. Her mouth opened in a snarl. Tradition would dictate that now she could easily turn on him and finish off the weaker Sharptooth, but somehow that didn't seem right. She felt cheated.

"Hey!" she roared, "don't turn your back on me, Redclaw! I thought you were stronger than this."

* * *

Though they were unable to understand the Sharptooth language, the sudden change in attitude between the two Sharpteeth was noticeable even to the leaf eater children. They'd never seen Redclaw in such a defeated, vulnerable state before.

And strangely, the sight was actually somewhat saddening.

"Wow he looks sad," Ducky noted as she saw the sharptooth slink away.

Cera was less forgiving, "About time someone made him sad! What, did she eat his family or something?"

"She called him a dork, because he was acting like a dork," Ruby noted.

"A dork? Redclaw?" Cera muttered with incomprehension, "That's the kind of thing I would say about flathead over here. But Redclaw?"

"Thanks, Cera," Littlefoot muttered before looking at Chomper, "Well what are your parents going to do now? If…" that was when he noticed the sudden absence of the two massive dinosaurs.

Chomper's eyes went wide. "Mom! Dad!"

They were both running into the gorge.

* * *

The female watched, still unsure of what to do as the defeated Sharptooth slunk off. Suddenly, a new scent caught her attention and she wheeled around, silently cursing herself for failing to be vigilant in the midst of her courting attempt.

There were two Sharpteeth headed down into the gorge. Big ones, two-footers like her, one dark green and one light green. With Redclaw she might have stood a chance, but alone, she knew she had no hope of surviving this encounter. Yet she stood her ground regardless. Redclaw had failed her, and without him, there wasn't much else to live for.

"Come on then!" she roared at the approaching Sharpteeth, "how long have you been watching us, waiting for this moment? Fight me, let me die on my feet like a proper Sharptooth!"

That was when the sound of thunder roared in the gorge. It was followed by what sounded like cracks of lightning, deafening in their intensity and unforgiving in their roar. It was only when the insufferable male was at her side that she realized it was no storm she'd heard.

It was Redclaw. He had come to defend her.

"You came!"

He grunted, "I never left."

"There! That's much better than comparing her ass to a yellowbelly's."

The female looked at the male who spoke with confusion before the female at his side appeared to slap his backside with her tail. "Not now!"

"Do you know these two?" the female hissed to Redclaw, "I don't know their scent."

Redclaw glared at them. "I chased them from my territory once and I can do so again. Screech..." he stopped. He no longer had any 'helpers' because they were a threat to eggs. He would have to do this alone.

He steeled himself.

For the first time, the female actually looked impressed.

That was when he saw nine other forms appear in the distance, peering into the gorge. Seven sap-suckers that he knew all too well, and two very familiar fastbiters.

"You're with the sap-suckers and them? Why you…"

"Hardly," the light green female growled, "we're just more interested in what's going on here."

Redclaw stared at the two fastbiters in the distance, one of whom had a small flyer on its head. "Then they seem to be taking a long time with their meal. Why are you here? Come to settle old scores?"

"He's mine!" The female roared at Terri, causing her to take a step back. Terri's resulting laugh caused her to pause.

Redclaw shifted awkwardly. A fight was bad enough but now it seemed he had to explain all of his relations to the female. Not that he had any remaining good relations. "I don't think she wants my second tail, dear, and even if she did I think Dein would object."

Dein roared in the affirmative as both he and Terri took on defensive positions a few body-lengths away from the duo. A most odd placement for a challenge.

"Then why are they here?" the female grumbled, her tail swishing from side to side in anticipation of the coming attack.

"Because this was our territory once," Dein replied threateningly, "and it's time it belonged to us again."

"And?" Terri muttered, nudging her mate.

"And…" Dein's face seemed to contort as he tried to maintain a stoic attitude. Unable to contain himself, he suddenly let out a loud guffaw, "and because you two suck at mating!"

The resulting deflation from both sharpteeth was only challenged by Redclaw's defiant roar. But everyone knew that the male's words had merit.

"So you decided to spy on our intimate moment? Has the mating between you two become so boring that you want to see how it is really done?" The female responded coldly.

"No, because we don't have all day to wait for you two to hit it off," Dein mocked.

"Well I don't think you have long to wait," Redclaw roared, churning up dust with his feet, "as you can already tell, that time is over. We obviously weren't meant for one another."

The female did not answer but her expression gave her away.

"I think that you underestimate your female's interest," Terri deadpanned.

Redclaw looked at his female with surprise. That was when he caught the look in her eyes. It might have been a trick of the light, but from where he stood she looked almost… hurt? "I… um… you really are interested? It wasn't an act?"

Dein groaned. "It might come across better if you used her name."

Redclaw growled at him in frustration. "I would if I knew her name!"

"You never asked," the female said quietly.

Redclaw growled with annoyance, "What's your name then, female?"

Terri rolled her eyes as she maintained her aggressive posture, "What a romantic…"

"Ysa,"the female said, unable to look away from Redclaw's scarred visage any longer. Perhaps it was the way he'd stood up for her, or maybe she was simply surprised that he'd actually messed up this badly on his first attempt at finding a mate. Whatever the case, she was steadily becoming transfixed.

"Lost one," Dein translated, cocking his head to the side. "That's… actually kind of sad," he muttered.

This actually caught Redclaw's interest as he gave her a glance before turning back towards the lingering threat. As he joined his love interest in circling the competing duo he popped the obvious question. "How did you earn that name?"

"I was an unwanted child," she said, flinching as she recalled the memory. She looked back at Redclaw, and for a moment her eyes flashed with the same fire she'd displayed at their first meeting.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you knew a thing or two about that, Redclaw. It's never easy to leave the ones you care about. But I did it. I wandered for much of my life, wondering if I'd ever find a purpose. And do you know what finally stopped me?"

"What?" Redclaw asked no longer really paying attention to the two challengers.

For the first time since they laid eyes on one another, Ysa smiled.

"I heard your roar. I know what longing sounds like, and I heard it in your voice. And I thought- maybe, just maybe, I could find someone who might understand me."

This made Redclaw stare into her eyes deeply, his breath growing deeper. If there had been any doubt before it had long since dissipated. She was the one.

Redclaw gave her a light nuzzle, "I will try to be worthy of your love if we survive this."

"There is no reason why you two will not."

Both tyrannosauruses stared at the female as Terri looked at them as if they were wayward children and not bitter rivals in the middle of a challenge.

"If you think we will simply let you have our territory then you have another thing coming!" Ysa boasted at Redclaw's side.

Redclaw nodded resuming his defensive posture. It was time to end this.

"Well she changed her tone quick," Dein quipped.

Terri, on the other hand, decided to change her focus. "How safe do you think your younglings will be here?"

Redclaw froze mid-growl. He hadn't even considered this, and from the stunned look on Ysa's face, she hadn't either.

"What? Am I supposed to fear for my children's safety when the only threats here are those sap-suckers in the valley?" he snarled with a little more bravado than he actually felt.

"Hold on, Redclaw," Ysa hissed, "let them finish."

"Truth is," Dein added, "you can't feed a growing two-footer or five out here. Maybe two scrawny fastbiters, but not children, especially not hatchlings. And as for the sap-suckers…" he shuddered, "don't underestimate them. A lot of them may be soft, but there are plenty of thorns among them, dinosaurs who wouldn't hesitate to stomp a Sharptooth child flat, given the chance."

"We're not scrawny!" One of the fastbiter hissed from the ravine.

"Shut up, Screech!" Both Dein and Redclaw growled simultaneously.

"Then what do you propose?" Redclaw prompted, "This place is easy to defend when you are strong! But in someplace more open… well… we will need to hunt for the kids so we won't be able to watch the nest…"

"Egg Stealers are quite common in these parts," Terri muttered cryptically.

Redclaw looked at Ysa with sudden realization as his demeanor lowered noticeably. The two damn upstarts had a point. Strength would be of limited value by itself in what was to come.

What then could they do?

"What's your point, then?" Redclaw grumbled, looking a little less threatening.

Terri cleared her throat. "Our point is, we happen to know of a much better place to raise a family than this. There's a good reason we left with Chomper when he was barely more than a hatchling."

Redclaw blinked. "You're not talking about that stinking island are you?"

"We might be," Dein growled, crouching lower, "and if you could pull your head out of your ass for a moment, we'll tell you why."

Redclaw growled but Ysa nodded for Terri to continue. "Boys, please!"

"The island was reasonably secure except for one little problem… and it was cut off from the mainland so there were no other predators or egg-stealers coming in. In fact the only new blood in that island were the usual suspects," she nodded in the direction of the seven younglings.

"The sap sucker younglings," Redclaw's eyes narrowed as he looked up at the morsels that had eluded him for so long, "I can't say I'm surprised."

Ysa was confused. "What about the sap sucker younglings?"

Redclaw quickly changed the subject lest he be embarrassed by his failure to catch the elusive sap-suckers, "Alright, assume we go to that island, if it is so great then why did you leave it in the first place?"

"The sap-suckers were a bad influence," Dein muttered before he was nudged by his mate.

"Chomper decided to hunt a certain fastrunner and ended up getting lost on a little 'adventure' and we had to track him down," Terri looked back at the fastrunner and purple sharptooth in question as Ruby smile nervously while Chomper gave an innocent wave, "That was when we had another idea to keep him safe." _...and to get allies to get rid of you. It looks like we should have just focused on getting you laid._

Redclaw groaned as he thought about the situation. Never mind how much it irritated him, never mind how much it went against his entire persona, they had a point. But things were never that simple.

"I can't submit to you. I made a vow to the ancestors."

Dein's nostrils flared, and he sighed deeply, wondering for a moment just how death would feel. Facing a younger Sharptooth and his equally strong mate, it didn't look like he and Terri stood much of a chance if Redclaw had truly made up his mind.

"If that's how it has to be…"

Ysa looked at Redclaw, "Dear…"

Redclaw roared in an authoritative voice. "You upstarts will leave my territory at once or I, Redclaw, will rip you limb from limb! I will leave for the island tonight on my own initiative!"

Ysa rolled her eyes but then roared in agreement as she took a defensive position around her mate. Sometimes one had to keep up appearances.

Even if it was just to shut her mate up.

Terri nudged Dein back towards where they had arrived, before finally practically dragging him with her body weight away from the other male. _The only way that could have gone better is if my mate wasn't so damn heavy!_

But as usual Dein had to ruin the moment. "Fine. We will withdraw from your territory immediately," and then added with a cheeky wink, "see to it your new mate doesn't do the same once she realizes how inexperienced you really are!"

As Terri and Dein raced to the ravine to avoid Redclaw's wrath Terri snapped at her mate's side.

"Really, dear?"

Dein was panting hard from his sprint, but the smile on his face told it all.

"I've been waiting all my life for that moment, dear. It was worth it."

* * *

As the two sharpteeth came stumbling into the ravine, exhausted yet satisfied. What had previously seemed impossible now was becoming a reality all without the shedding of any blood. Though Dein tried.

"Bellow… grumble… bellow… snort!"

Dein sighed. Was one of the sap-suckers actually trying to speak to him?

He looked over to see a yellow threehorn suddenly look embarrassed as Ruby began to speak.

"Cera asks why you all ran away?

Dein bristled at this, but Terri quickly cut him off before he could speak.

"Redclaw and Ysa will be leaving as a happy couple. After tonight the Barrens will be ours."

For a moment, the young dinosaurs only stared, mouths agape in stunned silence at the news. Then, as if on cue, they seemed to erupt in a frenzy of high-pitched chirps, wails, and cackles that made no sense whatsoever to the large Sharpteeth that looked on.

"Are they… happy?" Dein asked his son, who only giggled louder at his father's confused expression.

Chomper almost looked like he was walking on air as he jumped in celebration. "Of course! Now that Redclaw is gone the valley will be safer!"

"And so will my family!" Ruby declared as she joined the rest of the gang in a group hug.

Dein looked at his mate. _Well, your family will be fine. The valley…_

That was when both he and Terri noticed the kids staring at something in the distance as the impromptu celebration came to an awkward conclusion. _What are they staring…_ He turned around. _Oh?_

"Looks like Redclaw is happy too. He's trying to jump on…"

Terri's complexion paled immediately as she brought her tail crashing down in front of the young dinosaurs.

"Okay kids, time to go. It's been a long day, and I'm sure your parents will be worried."

"But what are they-" Chomper began.

" _Now!"_ Terri roared, shaking the ground with the force of her voice. Neither of the two Sharpteeth in the distance seemed to notice at all. Chomper turned around to see his friends wide eyed and still as stones as they looked up at the sharp, glistening teeth of his mother.

" **Well that is a good point, Mrs. Sharptooth! Let's go back to the valley!"** Ruby spoke first in sharptooth and then in leaf-eater as she helped corral them into motion away from the scene that was being hidden. As the pink fastrunner walked with the others into the distance Dein could have sworn he heard her say, "Your parents will explain when you are older."

Listening to the sounds emanating from the canyons behind them, Dein suddenly looked to his mate with a worried expression.

"Yes dear?" Terri said, immediately picking up on his odd expression.

"I… I didn't really sound like that, did I?"

Terri threw back her head and let out a bellowing laugh. "Of course not, Dein!"

Dein's shoulders sagged as he sighed, his fears assuaged for the moment. Terri only smirked in response.

"You sounded far, far worse."

* * *

 **The Great Valley:**

Topps grumbled to himself as he wrenched himself free of the mud pool he'd been bathing in. A midday meeting was the last thing he wanted to concern himself with on the day he'd set aside for relaxing, but he had his responsibilities to attend to, and a reputation to keep.

It didn't hurt that the ones who had called the meeting were none other than Chomper and Ruby. He couldn't help but wonder, somewhere in the back of his mind, if the day had finally come- the day the little Sharptooth and his fastrunner friend finally left their hidden paradise. If his suspicions were true, and this was what they were planning to announce, it meant that the meeting was well worth cutting his mudbathing short.

Well worth it indeed.

When he finally arrived at the meeting circle, most of the valley's prominent voices were already in attendance. Topps took his place quietly, watching the center of the circle eagerly. His daughter was nowhere to be found, but he didn't mind too greatly. She was probably saying her goodbyes to the little Sharptooth already.

It wasn't long until Chomper and Ruby arrived, parting the crowd on the side of the circle opposite Topps. The meeting circle was unusually quiet as they made their way towards the center. Doubtless others had come to the same conclusion he had. Topps watched as they took their place, and listened as the young Sharptooth finally spoke.

"When Ruby and I came to the valley it was in the hope that one day the Mysterious Beyond would be free from Redclaw."

The residents of the valley began to murmur at those words as Ruby leaned back with an almost prideful posture, which caught the threehorn's attention immediately.

"That when that day came both me, Ruby, and her family could be safe. Just like all of you in the valley."

Topps could see the necks of the elder longnecks lean down as if to hear the sharptooth's words more clearly. Despite how undignified it was for a threehorn of his station he couldn't help but lean his head inwards as well, imitating the sauropods.

"Well today it finally happened! Redclaw is finally gone!"

Unable to restrain himself, Topps let out a sudden, barking laugh of disbelief. Some of the other elders laughed too, albeit a bit more nervously.

"You've told your share of stories, little Sharptooth, but this has to be your best yet!" Topps guffawed, "you honestly expect us to believe a little pipsqueak like you took down Redclaw all on your own?"

Chomper did not seem perturbed by this at all. In fact his excitement appeared to grow as he happily outstretched his arms.

"Of course not, Mr. Threehorn! What could I do to a big Sharptooth like Redclaw?"

Topps snorted, "not much. But if it wasn't you, then who's responsible? Wait, let me guess- the Lone Dinosaur, perhaps? Maybe some sort of made up Sharptooth Longneck? Oh! Or maybe the Stone of Cold Fire took him away, is that it?"

"No, not at all!" Chomper replied, "actually, it was my Mommy and Daddy!"

Topps immediately fell silent, his eyes wide as he stared down at the little Sharptooth.

"You don't mean…"

Chomper nodded proudly, "yep! They're coming to stay near the valley again, and they'll be so close, I can visit them whenever I want them to!"

"That's- that's..." Topps glanced frantically around at the group of assembled leaf eaters, all of whom were either shaking or shifting uncomfortably.

"It's great!" Chomper squeaked, "no one has to worry about Redclaw ever again!"

Topps looked at his fellow threehorns, many of whom were now looking as concerned as swimmers in a bellydragger infested stream. Tria for her part looked ready to bolt in terror.

That was when an ominous but familiar roar echoed from the distant bluffs. A sound that caused the marrow in the residents' bones to quake in fear.

"Oh! And Screech and Thud are good guys now! They are helping Mommy and Daddy! Ain't that great?"

As the meeting descended into utter chaos Topps for one of the first times in his life felt utterly helpless, totally unsure of what to do. _What can we do now?_

Beside him the ground shuddered as Tria fainted. Topps could only sigh.

"Well, I suppose that's as good a start as any."


End file.
